Alioli is one of Spain’s most famous condiments. Originally from Catalonia, it is made from crushed garlic, salt and olive oil. The name actually comes from the Catalan “all i oli” meaning “garlic and oil”. Although it may seem quite simple to prepare, the secret is making sure to start by crushing the garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle and then patiently adding the olive oil little by little, constantly stirring as you do, until you get the right consistency. The end result is a rich, strong flavoured sauce that goes very well with meat and fish as well rice dishes such as paella and fideuà. It’s also a great accompaniment to a spanish omelette and for simplicity, you can’t beat it on toast with grilled red peppers and anchovies. Just delicious!
PrintAlioli
- Prep Time: 2 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Cuisine: Tapas
Ingredients
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 clove of garlic
- pinch of salt
- olive oil (100 – 150 ml)
Instructions
- Put the garlic and salt in your mortar and crush and grind together until you have a fine paste.
- Add the egg yolk and stir together using the pestle, always stirring in the same direction. You can substitute for a fork at this stage if you’d prefer.
- Then start to add your olive oil whilst continuing to stir, always in the same direction and always with the same intensity. You want to keep adding olive oil until you get a smooth and creamy consistency, like a heavy mayonnaise.
- These quantities will make enough for a sitting for two. The ingredients can always be doubled. If your alioli gets too thick, don’t continue to add olive oil to it as it will just get thicker. If required, you can always dilute it with a tablespoon or so of warm water.
